Fresh Cut Grass

I have been in india a little over a week and it has been quite the adventure thus far. Once I landed in Bangalore i was driven by private taxi to the Women's house i was staying at for two night, from there i had time to explore the city a little before i was to head out the following day for my 8 hour cab ride to Ooty..............the thing that i could not get over and what i have heard many people say was the amount of people, in order to get through traffic you have to truly wait for a lull and run for it....which i was quite successful at once i figured out there was no stopping for pedestrians.

Following my day in Bangalore, a cab came and picked me up 10 the next morning and from there i rode through the ever changing landscape as if i was seriously in a car-raced themed video game.....for fear my death would be emanate and i would rather look it straight in the face i sat straight up, eyes wide and finger clinched (for most of the trip).......along the way there was never a really lag between crowds of cars, small towns and tons of people.......we were alway swerving between: bikes, cabs, people, large trucks, buses, people, motorized rickshaws, motorcycles, cows and again people.....As well the land is littered with huge bulletin boards and tea shops.......about 2 hours out of Ooty we then started to drive through a Tiger Reserve that had a road the size of a bike path, where we dodged, swerved and nearly missed the passing vehicles, but also where I was able to see only 50 ft away....alive.....real.......large.....magnificent Elephant!!! (can we say the HIGHLIGHT of my death defying ride).......From there we drove up and up and up the mountain to the other side where I took first glimpse of Ooty, a small city nestled in the fog and rain of India......I was greeted by the 3 girls from Freedom Firm and the volunteer who is already here, they were on there way back to their house the moment i arrived.........

For my time here i am staying in a house that was built in the 1860, perched on the top of a mountain, hidden behind pine trees and mist......there are serious moments where i feel that i am somewhere lost in a Jane Austin film.......(not a  bad place to be lost i might add..especially if Mr. Darcy would come walking through the midst)....the place where i work is a 45 minute walk down hill to the offices where the girls work and have their education everyday......right now there are 3 girls who live under the care of FF, each girl is 18 or older, there is a move in India right now among the rescue teams to get older girls out, especially those who were sold young and have been in the trade for quite a long time...........two girls have been in the 18month program for a little over 12 months and another one came two weeks ago.....this last week because their house mother is on holiday, I was asked to stay with them for an overnight, which i might add went quite well, they are lively, strong willed girls who are healing and seeking to regain their lives one step at a time......I am excited to get to know them more as time goes on most of the girls speak 3 or 4 languages but english very limited so i will start hindi language classes on Tuesday this week, if i am feeling better......

Par for the course on my international experiences i got sick the second night with the girls, I am recovering well and hope to start my daily work from 9-5 where I will help the girls in their work space as they make jewelry............

SO one week down.......So today I was feeling pretty bad and I was thinking how I missed home and then because we finally had a sunny day here they decided to cut the grass and in my room came a gust of wind like a sweet reminder carrying the smell of fresh cut grass a smell i swear smells the same where ever you are!!!
 Love u guys!! THANKS FOR THE PRAYERS!! on to another week!